Youth football games added to all-star week

The sixth annual Upper Peninsula Football All-Star Game returns to Marquette the final week of June. To keep things interesting, the day of the all-star game will now feature four different football games.

XCEL Owner & President Todd Goldbeck has replaced the usual Saturday morning underclassmen combine with three youth football games that will involve up and coming football players from all over the U.P.

“The combine was great, but we just wanted to find a way to make more people come to the game,” said Goldbeck. “Youth football feeds the high school programs, so these (kids) could be future all-stars,” Goldbeck added.

Speaking off all-stars, the players and coaches for the East and the West squads have been determined. Goldbeck said it wasn’t easy figuring out which of the 90 total seniors to invite to play in the All-Star game.

“This was the hardest year to pick the teams because the senior class was so big. So many kids, so many coaches, so many successful teams- I think its going to be a great, quality game this year,” said Goldbeck.

The youth football games will begin at 8:30am on Saturday, June 29. The high school football all-star game will kickoff at 3pm.

All four football games will take place inside the Superior Dome.